2018 NFL mock draft: The Browns’ rebuild continues

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but loaded with picks the Cleveland Browns can reshape the NFL’s worst team this offseason. The Browns have five picks in the first two rounds of the 2018 NFL draft, and should be able to add multiple starters.

Of course, there’s the fact that they’re the Browns, a team that had four of the first 52 picks in 2017 and two of the first 32 picks in 2016. In this week’s mock draft, the Browns add pieces to one of the NFL’s worst offenses. The second round is where the Browns can find a cornerback (or two), a safety and help on either line.

The Browns aren’t the only team this year to have two first-round picks. The Buffalo Bills sit at 21 and 22, and that gives them ammunition to move up. The goal could be getting a quarterback, but that’s a goal shared by several teams in the top 10, and a few outside of it.

Here’s this week’s mock draft:

As much as the Browns could avoid Josh Rosen because he may not want to play for them, Cleveland may want to think twice on the UCLA quarterback because of his health. In 2016 Rosen played just six games due to a shoulder surgery, and this season he missed time after suffering two concussions.

If you don’t think Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield should be the first pick in the draft, the Browns could turn to Sam Darnold of USC. The key to drafting Darnold is making sure there is a good bridge quarterback in place. Although Darnold is obviously talented, the redshirt sophomore needs to learn how to read defenses better and rework his mechanics. So that means Cleveland will either have to trade for Alex Smith, or go after a free agent like Chase Daniel or A.J. McCarron.

The continual drama surrounding the first overall pick puts the Giants in an advantageous position. If the Giants don’t care for the quarterbacks and think Eli Manning has more than a season left, they could auction the pick off. If they think Manning is down to his final season, they could take Rosen here. Rosen may not have Darnold’s physical season, but right now he’s better as a pure passer.

The pick for the Colts has often been Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, but don’t forget that they were bad at getting after the quarterback this season. According to Football Outsiders, the Colts had the third-worst sack rate in the NFL last season. The Colts need someone who can get after the quarterback, and in this draft Chubb is the best at it. This pick especially makes sense if the Colts use more even fronts next season.

Isaiah Crowell is a free agent, and will probably leave considering how inconsistently the Browns used him this season. That could lead the Browns to Barkley, if he’s available at No. 4. He can do for Cleveland what Leonard Fournette did for Jacksonville this season and force defenses to play closer to the line, which should open up the passing game.

This will obviously change if the Broncos make a big splash on someone like Kirk Cousins of Washington in free agency. If they don’t, they may turn toward a quarterback they could be coaching in the Senior Bowl.

The Jets squeezed nearly 3,000 yards and 18 touchdowns passing out of 38-year-old Josh McCown this season. Imagine what they could do with a talent like Jackson. Although he has a propensity to run a little too frequently, Jackson has a really good arm and figured out how to sit back in the pocket more this season.

The hype about Nelson is legitimate. Here he is casually choke slamming an LSU linebacker.

The Bears could look for several different positions here, including pass rusher, offensive line and wide receiver. It’s just hard to pass up Smith, who would give the Bears an athletic linebacker who could help their coverage and come up and stop the run.

With Nelson off the board, the 49ers could turn to wide receiver and find a No. 1 piece on the outside for Jimmy Garoppolo. With his stellar route running and short area explosiveness, Ridley is the draft’s best receiver. Some will quibble about his age – he’ll turn 24 in December – but his talent shouldn’t be overlooked.

The Raiders need to make cornerback a priority this offseason. If Fitzpatrick is available – and that will be a stretch – the Raiders should grab him and permanently move him to cornerback. With his size and playing style, Fitzpatrick might remind Raiders fans of Nnamdi Asomugha.

This is a tough draw for the Dolphins with Nelson and Smith both gone. If that’s the case, the Dolphins could try and maneuver down the draft board. If they stick here, James makes sense. He can be a hybrid safety/linebacker in their system with his ability to cover linebacker and running back on passing plays.

The Bengals have failed to fix their offensive line after using high picks on Jake Fisher and Cedric Ogbuehi. That could leave them looking at McGlinchey in the first round of the draft. He has experience at both left and right tackle, and would help upgrade the team’s pass blocking. Ohio State offensive lineman Billy Price could also be considered here to be the team’s new starting center.

Kirk Cousins is probably done in Washington, so a new quarterback will obviously be needed. Allen struggled this season at Wyoming with a new receiving group and a suspect offensive line. Still, he’s a project, make no doubt about it.

The Packers need to add an outside pass rusher this offseason, and Key slipped to this point after the Bears passed on him at No. 8. Key can play standing up or with his hand in the ground. Teams will just have to get comfortable with him in interviews after he stepped away from LSU last summer.

Sitting at No. 15 overall and behind several teams that need a quarterback, the Cardinals have to be patiently waiting to see what decision Drew Lock of Missouri will make. If he goes back and the draft plays out in this fashion, the Cardinals may be in trouble following Carson Palmer’s retirement. Mason Rudolph of Oklahoma State doesn’t seem like a first-round player, and no one else is even in the discussion.

With that, the Cardinals could turn to the offensive line. Williams had a rocky season at Texas, but he has the tools to be a starting left tackle in the NFL.

With Ridley off the board, the Ravens are in a tough spot at No. 16. They’d almost assuredly look to trade down, especially considering they’ve traded in the draft 16 consecutive years. If they stick here and don’t want to reach on a wide receiver, adding talent on the offensive line is an option. Brown could start at right tackle for Baltimore while Austin Howard transitions to the inside.

Brandon Mebane is a free agent and Corey Liuget is starting to show his age a bit for the Chargers. If a player like Vea is available at No. 17, Los Angeles could pounce on the athletic defensive lineman. Even at 340 pounds, Vea isn’t simply a two-gap run stuffer up the middle.

If Michael Bennett’s time in Seattle is done, the Seahawks may elevate the need at pass rusher over the offensive line and tight end. Ferrell is only a redshirt sophomore, but he paced a load Clemson defensive line in tackles for loss and sacks.

The Cowboys need to get better in the interior of their defensive line, and Payne is your typical plug-and-play Alabama lineman. The hero of the Sugar Bowl is stout versus the run and has some experience moving out to end in three-man fronts.

The defensive line run continues with Wilkins. Haloti Ngata may want to play another season in Detroit, but the Lions need interior line help of their own. Wilkins is more of a gap shooter than run stuffer, but he brings a lot of pressure from the interior.

The Bills will try and get a quarterback this offseason. If you use the outdated draft value chart, the value of pick Nos. 21 and 22 is the No. 7 pick. Conceivably it could work for the Buccaneers at No. 7 since they don’t need a quarterback. If the Bills stick here, they could be in trouble. As we’ve seen, there’s been a run on defensive linemen. That could lead the Bills to fall back on the cornerback depth in this year’s draft. Jackson had a breakout season at Iowa in 2017 and bolstered his stock as much as anyone.

This pick was between two Big Ten players in Price and Michigan defensive lineman Maurice Hurst. Price can play either guard spot or center for the Bills. That could mean replacing the 34-year-old Richie Incognito on the left or Vladimir Ducasse on the right.

Make no mistake, the Rams need more than one cornerback this offseason. Maybe one can come in free agency and the other in the draft. The one in the draft can be Ward, who has speed and technique. He can be for Los Angeles what Chris Harris Jr. is for the Denver Broncos.

Someone get the Panthers a wide receiver who can separate and beat defensive backs with speed. This high the options are a little bit limited. Washington, with his 20.9 yards per catch average, is a fit. He can make plays over the top or beat defenders after the catch.

Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo are both scheduled to be free agents after next season, so Tennessee could have an eye on the future in the first round this year. If Landry is available, he would be a smart choice. He can stand up on the edge and provide pressure with his speed and ability to dip around blockers.

The offense in Jacksonville is practically built around making things easier for Blake Bortles. What better, then, than a dependable tight end? Marcedes Lewis remains a stellar blocking tight end for the Jaguars, but Andrews can offer more as a pass catcher.

This is a pick that continues to be locked in week after week in these mock draft. The fit for 282-pound Hurst in Atlanta’s defense is too good to overlook.

Rudolph may be more of a second-round player, but there’s some sense in taking him in the first. For the Saints it would give them a player who can eventually take over for Drew Brees, one of the oldest players in the NFL. They would also get another guaranteed year on his contract, so if Brees sticks around the Saints have another year of time on their side.

With Ryan Shazier’s football future in question, the Steelers may need to target a linebacker early in the draft. Evans has done a little of everything at linebacker for Alabama. The Steelers will need a player who can drop in coverage and come up and be dependable against the run. That fits Evans’ description perfectly.

The logic here says go for an offensive linemen. But considering who is left, the top options are either Pittsburgh tackle Brian O’Neill or UTEP guard Will Hernandez. Jefferson simply has more value. With Nigel Bradham’s pending free agency, and Jordan Hicks’ health history, the Eagles have a need at linebacker. Jefferson would be a perfect fit in Philadelphia’s defense as a three-down player.

In hopes of getting a big money, multi-year contract, Malcolm Butler could leave New England after the season. If he does, the Patriots would find his replacement in a draft that surplus of cornerbacks. Davis was a star for Auburn this season, breaking up 11 passes and intercepting a pass.

Phillips entered the draft after registering 103 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks while often playing over the nose for Stanford. Suffice to say, he is good. The Vikings can bring him in to upgrade over Tom Johnson.